The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-28

Arrived at the Grand Central depot they
remained in the cars until an ambulance
was summoned from ST. Francis Hospital
At the hospital it was found that recovery
was out of the question, so they We're
transferred to Bellevue Three hours had
now elapsed since the explosion had oc-
Cured.
that they lived so long But the life of "a
slave of the aqueduct" is cheap in the eyes
of the employer, and the Coroner summoned
to investigate the deaths of these men
simply announced in his report: Cause of
death, accident" Further investigation he
did not deem necessary. 1t would not be
well to throw too much light upon the num-
Der of deaths that occur through care
lessness in the aqueduct, nor upon the
brutal manner in which the wounded are
handled.
The men who employ these workmen at a
miserable pittance are wealthy contractors
and their money is undoubtedly freely used
in keeping the veil over the disagreeable
happenings in the work. The men are
mostly ignorant Italians and know no better
than to accept what treatment is &C
corded them. The Coroner's duty in
these cases is plain, and if they were officially
investigated, undoubtedly matters would at
once improve. No doubt the four Coroners
have substantial reasons for not exerting
their authority.
This is not the only field in which the ac-
lions of the New York Coroners seem open
to suspicion. The salary of 5000 received
by Coroner would never tempt some of
the men who have held, or do hold, that
position. The expenses of obtaining the
nomination and election amount to more
than half that sum. The duties are very
onerous and the honor is very slight.
There are many ways in which the
Coroner can add to his income by little
finessing; and, if the word of most of their
brother politicians is to be accepted,
they are not slow in taking advantage of
them,
The railroads that in any manner touch
New York are, for instance, very kind to
the Coroners. Annual passes are so com
mon that ordinarily Coroners desk is full
of them 1t is notorious that nearly every
Coroner for years back has travelled only on
passes. Nor, if there is any truth in ap-
pearances and common rumor, is that the
only manner in which the railroads show
their affection for the Coroner's Office.
As a result, of course, very little ever
comes of the Coroners' Investigations into
deaths on the railroads. / have known of
half dozen deaths occurring on one rail
road in this city in one week, two of which
happened i'm one day. Each death was re-
ported as accidental by the Coroner who in
vestigated them, and not a word of censure
was heard against the railroad company that
was so careless in switching its trains within
the city limits as to run over six people in
one week
Sometimes, in a very startling railroad
accident where the people are thoroughly
aroused, the Coroners bestir themselves. But
their activity is more or less feigned and
blows over as soon as the public, which is
too busy in this great city to remember such
thing very long, Quiets down.
The death of Raymond Rogers Belmont,
son of August Belmont, the wealthy
banker, and of William II. Vanderbilt,
illustrate another means of income
thoroughly recognized by the official death
Investigators.